Cafe owner takes the stage
Suter Cafe owner Katrina Kallil is taking her jazzy voice and sassiness from the cafe floor to the stage.
Kallil is bringing ‘‘Her Band of Men’’ with her to perform six concerts at the Suter Cafe starting next week.
Kallil said she had loved singing from a young age and felt comfortable on stage.
‘‘When I was six my mother had me out, standing in the corner singing ditties for the relations.
‘‘I’ve always been a singer, I came up through dancing, ballet . . . then when I got older I was a rock singer.’’
She specialised in jazz and blues but the time pressures of owning two cafes meant she did not often get the opportunity to perform.
‘‘My passion is my two businesses, but my other passion is singing.
‘‘I said, if I wasn’t going to die by organising two cafe’s, I was going to give myself the gift of performing with my favourite musicians.’’
She often burst into a song in the Suter Cafe.
‘‘There will be a crowd of people and someone will say, sing us a song.
‘‘And I’ll say, you’re not paying me enough money to sing you a song.’’
Born in Dunedin from Lebanese heritage, Kallil said she had been in Nelson for the past 13 years.
‘‘I’ve always had a sharp wit, and I’m so un-PC, and being Lebanese you can sort of do that really – that’s what I say.’’
She said the concerts would include a nightclub-like atmosphere of cocktails, ‘‘songs and sass’’ and humour.
Kallil’s ‘‘band of men’’ include musicians Barry Korcheski, James Wilkinson, Gabor Irmalos, Andrew Leachman, Simon Williams and Chris Harris.
The Suter Night Club presents Katrina and her Band of Men is on from 8pm to 10:30pm on February 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 25. Tickets $30.